Sen. Grassley Paves Way For Sen. Graham To Lead Judiciary Panel

Sen. Chuck Grassley announced Friday that he's trading in the role of Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman for the Senate Finance Committee.

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It looks like there will be some major changes to Senate committee leadership next year.

Sen. Chuck Grassley announced Friday that he's stepping down as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. He's trading in that post for the Senate Finance Committee chair.

That means Sen. Lindsey Graham will likely take over leading the judiciary committee. He's next in line because Sen. Orrin Hatch is retiring at the end of the term.

The move would put Graham, an ally to President Donald Trump, in charge of the panel that oversees judicial nominations. He would also hold jurisdiction over the Justice Department and special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation.

Graham's already stated his interest in taking over the role, tweeting that if he's selected, he would push for more conservative federal judges. In September, Graham showed staunch support for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh during highly-contested confirmation hearings.

Graham has also said he wants to push for "aggressive oversight" of the DOJ and FBI. He's been particularly critical of how the FBI handled the investigation of Hillary Clinton's email server.

In a statement, Grassley said he's looking forward to working on economic issues in his new position, with a focus on tax relief measures and health care affordability.